RE: How DU was used in the production of Pu

[Rodney Bauman <RBauman@wssrap.com>]

The preponderance of the uranium irradiated in the Hanford production
reactors was natural or "normal enriched" (i.e., 0.71 wt% U-235) and the
remainder was low enriched uranium (LEU), primarily 0.94 wt% or 1.25 wt%
U-235.  The U-235 concentration was attained either by blending uranium of
different isotopic compositions or by processing in a GDP.  Blending was the
primary method utilized - the GDPs provided makeup.

Normal or natural uranium received for reprocessing had the U-235
concentration depleted to only around 0.64 wt% U-235, due to short
irradiation time.

LEU received for reprocessing ranged between 0.75 wt% U-235 and 0.96 wt%
U-235.

Rodney Bauman, CHP, RRPT
rbauman@wssrap.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Bernard L Cohen [mailto:blc+@pitt.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2001 9:33 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: RE: How DU was used in the production of Pu

Does anyone know how depleted the spent fuel from the Pu
production reactors was? 
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